1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical imaging apparatus; more particularly, the invention relates to a microscope and a microscope camera using such a microscope.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, optical microscopes and microscope cameras provided with a magnifying optical system have been employed to view minute bodies. Because the depth of field of an object becomes shallower as the magnification factor is increased in such systems, assembly and inspection of minute, three-dimensional components of micromachines, which have been the subject of much research in recent years, is difficult.
A method for enlarging the depth of field in an optical microscope is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 2-192276, where an image obtained while scanning using an objective lens of a microscope in the height direction is stored in memory and the image is reconstructed by image processing.
However, this method requires a structure to move the objective lens over a large movement distance as well as devices for performing image storage and image processing, and a long time may be needed for image processing.
Additionally, electron microscopes, laser microscopes, and the like have been put to practical use as another method of microscope inspection with a large depth of field. However, because an electron microscope presupposes viewing within a vacuum chamber, utilization in assembly tasks and the like is difficult. Furthermore, although a laser microscope can obtain a high-resolution image with large depth of field even in an atmosphere, laser beam scanning and the like require a sophisticated and complex structure.